Hi everybody, I joined this forum a few days ago after a while of browsing the site for lyrics and chords. I don't know if I can call myself a Deadhead but I probably "should have" been one... I saw the band just once and that was in '81 at the Rockpalast Festival, not just on TV but I was actually there, barely 16 at the time and having started to play guitar about a year and a half before. I was very impressed, even though it probably wasn't their greatest show ever. Over the years, I would drift off into different musical directions, listened to the Dead every so often, got a couple of albums but not much more. In '92-'93 I travelled to San Francisco several times, but at the time I was heavily into John Cipollina and preferred to check out what was left of the scene he used to be involved with (pretty amazing BTW, I even got to sit in with Barry Melton at the Saloon). A while after that I discovered the pedal steel guitar, needless to say I became a big New Riders fan (still am). For several years I played in country bands where nobody understood what I was after and it eventually got so frustrating that I gave up steel and went back to guitar. I'm currently playing with a singer/songwriter kind of guy but getting kind of bored, it's becoming too obvious that we have different tastes and interests. Anyway, a few months ago I re-discovered the Dead and - finally - realized that this is where I really want to be. I know I have a lot of catching up to do, for the moment my favorite period, besides, obviously, Workingman's Dead and American Beauty, is the one right after when they were a five-piece, Skull and Roses, Fillmore shows etc. I think those really rock and I'm dreaming about doing something similar... finding people to put together a decent West Coast style jam band, but it seems very difficult in this part of the world. I feel pretty isolated very often. I just want to play guitar and find people who share my taste in music and points of view...

Thank you for the nice welcome. You guys are great. Yes I think I should check with the European Deadheads, I think there is a site in Germany also. I really want to have my own GD tribute band someday...
St. Stephen, yes, absolutely! Stuttgart is not so very far from where I live, I've been playing gigs there before. Make sure to get some solid rhythm chops down so you can play Bob and I'll do Jerry's part